Pokemon: Generation X
by Flyper
Summary: Fifteen years after Ash is declared the Pokemon Master, a whole new generation rises. New trainers, new rules, new generation. Generation X.
1. Ash Becomes a Pokemon Master

It is night in an arena. The crowds are at capacity. People worldwide are watching this battle erupt. Two men stand on opposite sides of the field. One is a boy with blue spiky hair and white clothing. The other is a boy with black hair wearing a hat. On the display, five pictures of Pokemon are faded out. Only one remained on each side. This was the battle that would determine if Ash Ketchum could beat Calvin of the Pokemon Elites and become a Pokemon Master.  
  
INTRO: ASH BECOMES A POKEMON MASTER  
  
"I haven't begun to battle yet. Come on out, Venusaur!"  
  
Calvin's Venusaur was ready to battle as it was stomping its foot on the ground.  
  
"Only one win away from becoming a Pokemon Master. ALL RIGHT! Pika, I choose you!"  
  
Ash's Pikachu, Pika, was ready to battle as electricity surrounded him.  
  
Venusaur, use Body Slam, but watch out for Pikachu's speed!"  
  
Venusaur charged swiftly, possibly the swiftest a Venusaur ever charged, towards Pika. The crowd was astounded by Venusaur's speed. Ash, however, just kept his crazy smile on his face.  
  
"Fast, but not fast enough. Dodge and use Iron Tail, Pika!"  
  
As Venusaur jumped, Pika disappeared and reappeared behind Venusaur, his tail glowing. There was a bone-shattering SLAM as Pika slammed Venusaur with his tail. It was thrown to the other side of the arena, barely missing Calvin.  
  
Calvin saw that Venusaur could barely stand up. Apparently, Venusaur's right hind leg was broken. He was losing all hope until he looked up and saw the full moon and all its glory. He then thought of an idea.  
  
"Venusaur!"  
  
Venusaur, who had stopped struggling to get up but was still awake, looked at Calvin.  
  
"Look at the moon up there."  
  
Venusaur then looked at the moon.  
  
"Ya thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"  
  
Venusaur smirked along with Calvin and nodded its head.  
  
"All right then. This is it. If this doesn't work, it's over. Venusaur, Moonlight Solarbeam!"  
  
The crowd gasped at this move that no one had ever dreamed of doing before. Yet they saw the power for themselves.  
  
This Solarbeam attack was far bigger and faster than any other Solarbeam attack seen. It was so white and bright that everyone had to close their eyes. Except Ash, that is. He still had that crazy smile on his face.  
  
"I'm gonna win, he he! Now, Thunder! Thunder like you've never  
Thundered before, he he!"  
  
Pika sent out an unprecedented number of volts at the Solarbeam head on. The resulting impact was a BOOM sound so loud that windows shook miles away. When the dust cleared, the Thunder was still going and the Solarbeam was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Calvin knew that it was over. However, he was smiling as the Thunder hit Venusaur. A crisp, blackened Venusaur was left.  
  
The referee waved the green flag, announcing the new Pokemon Master.  
  
"Venusaur is unable to battle. Challenger Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town is the winner."  
  
The crowd rose up from their seats as fireworks blew up and confetti fell. The announcer was ready to announce to the whole world about the new Pokemon Master, Ash.  
  
"You've seen it here, folks, live, around the world! What an upset! After many years, we have a new Pokemon Master! History is also set as Ketchum, at only eighteen, has become the youngest to be crowned Pokemon Master!"  
  
Ash and Pika were doing a victory dance and posing for the cameras as Calvin showed up behind him.  
  
"Congratulations, Ash. You have surpassed me in strength, and as proof of your victory, here is the Red Pendant.  
  
Ash received the Pendant from Calvin and did a victory pose.  
  
"Oh yeah! I'm a...POKEMON MASTER! HA HA!"

* * *

Next time:  
  
Fifteen Years Later: A Trainer's Journey Begins Part I  
  
A/N: I used Ash's character, but I used Red's (from Pokemon Adventures Manga) Pokemon. I just think that Red's Pokemon are better than Ash's. This might not seem it, but it is relevant to the story. Very relevant, in fact. I also used this battle scene as a pilot for my other battle scenes. If you didn't like it, tell me about it in a review and I will try to change my battle scene styles. This is my first fic, after all. If you liked it, and even if you didn't like it, please review.  
  
Until later, R&R. 


	2. A Trainer's Journey Begins Part I

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER...

"Go, Charmander!"

A Charmander was released from his Pokéball. His trainer was Taria Ketchum, a young girl of sixteen. Her long, black hair complemented her light brown skin. She wore a lavender dress, blue stockings, and black heels. The duo was going up against a wild Pidgey.

"Use your Ember!" Charmander shot out red-orange flames from its mouth. Pidgey dodged at the last minute and used Quick Attack.

"It's coming!" Taria smirked. "Get ready..." Charmander poised himself as Pidgey flew towards him. "Use Slash now!"

Charmander sharpened his claws and slashed at Pidgey. Pidgey screeched piercingly.

"Perfect! Now, Charmander, finish it off with..."

Just then, Pidgey screeched even louder. All of a sudden, four more Pidgey flew out of a nearby tree. All of the Pidgey started glowing and flew high into the sky.

Taria looked up into the sky and saw a huge blinding light.

"Wait a minute. Are they using..."

There was complete silence until a deafening slash sound was heard. The massive beaming light, shaped like a bird, flew at high speed towards Taria and Charmander.

"Oh no...they're using Sky Attack!"

As the Pidgey came closer, a red aura surrounded both Taria and Charmander. Taria's light blue eyes became deep crimson, and Charmander's flame grew to massive proportions.

Taria screamed out in anger, "BLOW THEM OUT OF THE SKY! SACRED FIRE!!"

Charmander shot out flames of every color imaginable from its mouth and flame. There were sharp screeches from the Pidgey as they were enveloped by the flame. Soon, Charmander's flame died down and Taria returned to normal as the aura disappeared. The Pidgey were nowhere to be seen, but feathers were flying everywhere.

Taria looked around in confusion. "What...what happened? Oh, Charmander!"

Charmander was lying on the ground, panting. Taria ran over to him. "It'll be all right. Just rest."

He was returned to the Pokéball.

Taria surveyed the damage around her. Ten trees in front of her were burned, and feathers were still flying everywhere.

"Did Charmander...did Charmander do all this? Or did it happen again..." Just then, her cellphone rang.

"Hello. Oh, the upgrade is complete? Okay, I'll be at the lab in about 30 minutes." Taria hang up and left.

-----

"I'm here!"

Taria entered the lab. A woman was sitting at a computer. She had long, brown hair and was wearing a lab coat.

"Hello, Professor Oak? I'm here for the Pokédex. Can I put Charmander to the Recovery Machine? We sort of trained too much."

"Oh, hello, Taria. Yes, you can put Charmander in. Here's your Pokédex. As you can see, I've made a complete upgrade. It can even identify unidentified Pokémon."

Taria put the Pokéball into the Recovery Machine, and then looked at her Pokédex. It was a sleek black and red. "It doesn't even look the same. Thank you, Professor."

Professor Oak smiled. "I do what I can. Taria, I have to ask you something. Are you planning on entering the World Pokémon League this year?"

"Yes. Is there anything I need to know?"

"Plenty. The Pokémon League has a new set of rules from this year on, everything from the Pokémon you have to have to tournament rules to qualifying and beyond."

"Why?"

"My little brother Gary was designated President of the World Pokémon League Committee three years ago. He says that he wants to show the world that Pokémon Training isn't just fun and games and that not anybody can be a Pokémon Trainer."

"Sounds like something Gary would say. Do you know any of the rules?"

"Of course. I know most of the new rules. But you may need to sit down, this will take a while."

"There are that many new rules?"

"Yes. Here are some of them. The number of badges to qualify for the World Pokémon League has increased to 15."

"Fifteen?"

"Yes. Gary says that a successful Pokémon Trainer has to learn to take on many specialized Trainers and that this is the way to do it. There is also a rule that states that in each region, there are four badges you MUST earn to qualify for the Pokémon League. And earning these badges will sometimes be twice, maybe even three times as hard to obtain as the others."

"Hmm...this is interesting. Well, at least Gary's creative."

"There is also a new rule that states that a Trainer must have at least 40 different Pokémon to qualify for the Pokémon League."

"What? Why did he do that?"

"He says that Pokémon Trainers will have an advantage by having so many different Pokémon to choose from."

"But what about my cousin, Ash? He didn't have that many Pokémon when he became a Master. "

"True. In my opinion, I believe that it doesn't matter how many Pokémon you have, it's how you train them. But those are the rules Gary enforced."

"I believe that too, but if I have to catch and train all those Pokémon to qualify, then I will."

"I'm glad you've taken these new rules well. Well, Taria, those are the only rules I know of. But there is one other rule out there that Gary says will make Pokémon Training and Battling the most competitive and dangerous sport in the world. I forgot what it was, but I do know that the rule was once enforced a long time ago, but was removed because so many Trainers and Pokémon were getting seriously hurt or killed."

"The rule was that dangerous? And Gary's just going to put it back into the rulebook?"

"Yes. He says that Pokémon Trainers have gotten weak and soft since the days when he and Ash were rivals. With these rules, he hopes that Pokémon Training and Battling will become the glory of the world once again."

"Hmm...this is a lot to accomplish in two years' time. I guess I'll get Charmander and get going, then. Thank you, Professor Oak, for all you've done."

"As I said before, I do what I can. Call me if you run into the new Pokémon I've been hearing about."

"Okay. I'll be sure to." Taria waved as she left.

As Taria left the lab, she took three Pokéballs off her belt. "This is really going to be a challenge. I just hope my Pokémon are up to it." Taria put the Pokéballs back on her belt. "I should be getting home. I guess I'll leave tomorrow."

"You'll have to battle me first, Taria!"

"Huh?"

A boy flew off a tree branch and landed in front of Taria. He was wearing all blue. Everything was blue except his tanned skin. Even his hair was sky blue. He stood three inches shorter than Taria's tall 5'10''.

"I said that you have...to...battle....whoa...nice..." The boy stared at Taria's breasts, like he was in a trance.

Taria blushed, and then punched the boy in the face. "Damn it, Blue! You're such a pervert!"

The boy got out of his trance and held his cheek, where he got hit. "Damn, you hit hard! Anyway, I want to try out the Squirtle I got today by beating you in a battle! And the name is Don, not Blue!"

"Whatever. Why should I battle a womanizing punk like you anyway, DON?"

"Come on, Taria. You know you won't back down a challenge, and I know you won't back down a challenge. So I challenge you to a battle!"

"All right, then. I'll battle you. Just to put you in your place, Blue."

"Don!"

* * *

Next Time: **A Trainer's Journey Begins Part II**

Thanks dragonwave for reviewing.

A/N:

In case you haven't played the games or read the Pokémon Special Manga, the "Professor" is Daisy Oak, Samuel Oak's granddaughter and Gary Oak's older sister.

And here's a hint....if you've read Pokémon Special, then you should have an idea of what Pokémon League rule made battling so dangerous and, in this story, was removed from the rules. And even if you don't, all the answers will be revealed one of these chapters.

If you want to know a little bit more about the characters, check out my bio.

That's all until next time.

Please R&R!


	3. A Trainer's Journey Begins Part II

**_A Trainer's Journey Begins-Part II_**

"Squirtle, come on out!"

"Show 'em what for, Chikorita!"

Don brought out his Squirtle from the Pokéball, and Taria brought out her Chikorita, one of her other Pokémon.

Don snickered. "A grass type? Oh, well. Squirtle, use Slam!"

Squirtle jumped high in the air, swinging his tail wildly.

Taria laughed. "Are you serious? Head-on? You're not going to get anywhere with a strategy like that. Chikorita, Reflect!"

Just before Squirtle slammed into Chikorita, she put up a transparent wall. When Squirtle's Slam hit, Chikorita barely budged.

Don raised his eyebrow. "What? Even with Reflect, Chikorita's supposed to take some damage!"

"I see you've been doing your homework, Blue. You're right. But I've trained Chikorita to put up a stronger Reflect than usual. I told you you weren't going to win this." Taria laughed.

Don became frustrated. "Shut the hell up! I know what the hell I'm doing! Reflect is useless against special attacks, isn't it?! Squirtle, use your Water Gun now!"

Squirtle launched a mediocre sized Water Gun. Chikorita braced herself.

"You really don't listen, do you? That temper's not going to get you anywhere. Now, use Light Screen!"

As Squirtle's Water Gun was about to hit, Chikorita put up a wall similar to Reflect, only this time it was sparkling. The water was reflected in many directions, and only small splashes of water hit Chikorita.

Don became angry. "I'm not going to lose! Squirtle, keep going! Chikorita's walls'll fade soon!"

Squirtle kept alternating between Water Gun and Slam. However, the attacks were useless. Chikorita started yawning of boredom.

"This is getting boring. Chikorita, use Magical Leaf!"

Chikorita's leaf started glowing, and leaves of many colors flew out of the leaf.

"Squirtle, keep on the offense. Blow those leaves away with Water Gun!"

Squirtle launched a slightly, but noticeably larger stream of water at the leaves. The leaves disappeared before the water hit and appeared behind him.

"Squirtle, watch out!"

Squirtle tried to dodge, but the leaves took a sharp turn and struck Squirtle, bringing him to the ground. He was struggling, but got up.

Taria laughed. "Give up now?"

Don chuckled. "No way, Taria. I'm just getting started!"

"Oh, well, your loss. Finish this with Razor Leaf, Chikorita!"

Chikorita launched green sharp leaves at Squirtle.

"Now, Withdraw!"

Squirtle withdrew himself into his shell. The leaves hit the shell, causing no damage.

"Oh, yeah! Let's see..." Don started looking through his Pokédex for moves, and then suddenly laughing maniacally. "...Yeah! That's it! It's over! Squirtle, use Hydro Cannon!"

Taria laughed. "Don't be stupid, Blue. Hydro Cannon is a move only Blastoise can learn."

"Oh, yeah? Look for yourself!"

Squirtle withdrew into his shell. Suddenly massive amounts of water were launched from the shell holes and were headed towards Chikorita. Both the Light Screen and Reflect walls faded just as Squirtle was about to hit her.

"Oh, no. Brace yourself, Chikorita! This is gonna be big!"

Just then, a green aura surrounded both Taria and Chikorita. Taria's eyes suddenly became green, and then, suddenly, Taria screamed out,

"FRENZY PLANT!!!"

Hundreds of roots emerged from Chikorita and into the ground, while thousands of razor leaves emerged from her leaf and many vines emerged from her neck. The roots instantly sucked up the water, and the leaves and vines enveloped Squirtle.

Don screamed. "What the hell?! Okay, okay, you win!! Squirtle, return!"

As Squirtle was returned to his Pokéball, the aura around both Taria and Chikorita disappeared. Taria fell to her knees, somewhat fatigued.

"Wha...what happened?" She saw Chikorita panting roughly and Don, stunned from what just happened.

Don came back to his senses, but still was a little stunned. "You beat my ass is what just happened. Damn, you weren't kidding. I got beat bad. Hey, Taria, how did you do that?"

Taria stood up and returned Chikorita to the Pokéball. "What are you talking about?"

Don imitated what just happened. "You know...with that glowing green and screaming out powerful attacks and all that."

Taria was dumbfounded with what she just heard. "I did that? It happened...again?"

Don put his Pokéball back on his belt. "Wow! You did that before?! Man, I'm gonna have a tough time trying to beat that!" He placed his backpack on his shoulder. "See you later, Taria! Next time we meet, we battle! And I WILL win!"

Taria came back to her right mind, hearing what she just heard. "Not gonna happen, Blue. We will battle next time we meet. But, I'll win!"

Don, now a distance from Taria, said, "DON!"

Taria giggled, then looked at her Pokédex and used the clock feature. "Man, that was a battle. I should be getting home, it's late."

* * *

"It sure has been a busy day. I'm almost home!"

Taria ran to her huge house. Calling it a huge house would be putting it lightly; the mansion was one of the biggest in Pallet. It could be seen for miles if you were looking in the right places.

In the house, her parents were sitting at a table talking.

"It seemed like forever, but the day has come, Marcus. Taria's leaving tomorrow."

"Yes, Natasha, she has been planning for this day for a long time. I wonder something, though. Why did she wait six years to leave? Sandra and Rita left two years ago when they were ten, and Junior left nine years ago when he was eleven."

"She says she wanted a head start over other trainers by already having more than one well trained Pokémon. I'm not surprised; I waited until I was until I was 15 to become a Pokémon Trainer."

"I never became a Pokémon Trainer. I decided to go into business to become the powerful businessman I am today."

"Do you have to boast about your career every day?"

"I try my best!"

Natasha sweatdropped. "You really are something, Marcus."

Just then the doorbell rang.

"It's probably Taria. I'll go answer it."

Natasha opened the door. "Oh, hello, Taria."

Natasha and Taria could've looked like twins; they looked exactly the same. However, Natasha was 5'8'', had red hair, and darker brown skin than Taria.

"Hi, Mom." She walked into the house. "Hi, Daddy." She ran to her room. "I'll be in my room. I'm getting ready to pack up for tomorrow!"

Natasha walked back to the table. "That girl's always busy. She really needs to rest once in a while."

"Taria's got her daddy's genes, all right! With her skills, we could form one of the best businesses in the world!" Marcus brushed his black hair back and laughed maniacally. Natasha sweatdropped.

* * *

"All right, I'm going to need this...and I'm going to definitely need this!"

Taria was busy in her room packing her backpack. As she was packing, a young girl came into her room. She looked exactly like Taria, except she was a foot smaller than her.

"What are you doing, Taria?" The girl sat on Taria's bed.

Taria was finishing packing. "Just getting ready for tomorrow. I bet you can't wait until next year, Sharon."

"Yeah! I'm going to be a Pokémon Trainer when I graduate Pallet Town Pokémon Academy next year!" Sharon beamed.

"Well, when the time comes, we can battle, just for fun."

Sharon grinned even more. "You think so, sis?"

Taria zipped up her backpack and sat down next to Sharon. "I know so. You just might beat me."

Sharon started laughing. "It'll take me years to get that strong."

Taria laughed. She then noticed it was a bit early. "Hey, why aren't you at school anyway?" Taria looked at her clock. "It's only one."

"Since the fourth graders were the best class at the academy, we got to choose a day off this week. So we chose today, Friday."

"Oh yeah, I remember that. We used to get days out all the time." Taria sighed. "I can't believe it's been a year since I graduated tenth grade."

"Why did you wait until the tenth grade to graduate?"

"I felt that I didn't know enough to survive on my own while traveling around a dangerous world like this." Taria walked over to her window. "I also stayed so I could learn a lot more about Pokémon. Look where's it gotten me now! I know most of the attacks and how a Pokémon learns it. I've got more knowledge of Pokémon than most advanced trainers."

Sharon beamed. "You're so cool, Taria! You're beautiful, smart, and strong! I hope I'll be that way one day."

Taria blushed. "Well, I guess. But with a little studying and if you train your Pokémon right, you might just end up being trouble for me!"

Sharon laughed as she started to leave the room. "Thanks for the encouragement, Ri. I really needed that."

When Sharon left, Taria laid on her bed. "Well, I wanted adventure, and I'm gonna get it. It's gonna be just me and my Pokémon." Taria laid her Pokéballs next to her. "Yeah, just me and my Pokémon."

* * *

Sometime later, Taria sat out in front of her house. As she watched the cars drive by, she wondered about what happened this morning with Charmander and later this afternoon with Chikorita.

"It happened before..." Taria stood up. "I don't remember when, but it happened before. I just know it."

Just then, a school bus stopped in front of her house. Three kids got off the bus. One was a girl with red hair who looked like Natasha, but had light skin, like Marcus, and was tall for her age, like Taria. The other two children were young red haired boys who looked exactly the same. The only difference was that one wore glasses, and the other didn't.

Taria walked over to the children. "You're just now getting home? It must be earlier than I thought..."

The girl looked at her watch. "It's 4:00. You must've been gone all day, Taria."

"Yeah, Nita, I was out training."

"Shouldn't you be resting? You're leaving tomorrow."

Taria nodded her head. "I should be, but I don't feel like it. I'm too fired up to rest!"

Nita ran towards the mansion. "All right, then. I have to study. I have to study hard if I want to be a lawyer!"

The two boys ran towards Taria. "We don't have any homework! Can we stay with you, Riri?" The two boys said in unison.

"Of course, you can sit out here with me. I don't mind the company."

Taria and the boys sat out by a tree in front of their mansion. It was mostly silent, other than the chirping of Pidgey and Taillow and a couple of Sentret and Zigzagoon running by.

The redheaded boy with glasses spoke softly. "When I graduate, I'm going to be a trainer just like you, Sandra, Rita, and Junior, Taria."

Taria spoke up. "Looks like I'm going to have a lot more competition, with you graduating in three years, James."

The other boy spoke up also. "I seriously doubt it. Taria's too strong for you, Jimmy."

"So, Randall? I can make it!"

"Yeah, whatever, Jimmy. I'm not interested in Pokémon anyway. I'm gonna become a doctor, like Mama." Randall stood up. "I'm gonna ask Mama how she became a doctor." Randall smiled as he left.

"For identical twins, you two sure are different." Taria closed her eyes.

James pulled up his glasses. "I know. He's an honor student, while I'm struggling just to reach borderline. I can't wait until I turn 10. Then I won't have to worry about school anymore!"

"I felt that way sometimes. But I decided to stay in school six extra years just so I can learn more about Pokémon. And look where's it gotten me."

"Well, you're right. But I still don't like school."

Just then, a car pulled up in front of their mansion. A boy of around twelve, wearing a suit, got out of the car. He had black hair, and was shorter than most of his family.

James stood up and yelled. "Yo, what up, Kenny!"

Taria said in a much smaller tone, "Hello, Kendrick. Why are you in a suit?"

Kendrick ran over to James and Taria. "Since I plan to become a successful businessman like Dad, I decided to start early. I've got my own business. I even have employees!"

Taria snickered. "I'm impressed. But just wait until Dad hears about what you've done. He's gonna be running around the house like's he's gone crazy!"

Kendrick laughed. "I believe he'll do more than that!" He left towards the house. "I'm going to tell Dad! Don't be surprised if you hear maniacal laughter!"

As Kendrick left, James remembered something.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" James started to run back into the house.

Taria opened her eyes. "Where are you going, James?"

"I forgot to give a friend of mine something!" James pulled up his glasses again. "Tell Mom and Dad I'll be home sometime around eight!"

Taria looked up at the sky. It was a stunning orange with pink and purple streaks across the sky. As she gazed, she then saw streaks of blue and red.

"Wow! What's that? Is that..."

The streaks of blue and red were actually streaks being left by two Pokémon. As she saw the Pokémon fly by, she remembered the time Ash told her about seeing a legendary Pokémon when he first started his journey.

"This is just like what my cousin saw. I know I'll be a master one day. I just know it..."

She then yawned. "Oh man, I guess Nita was right. I do need some rest. Guess I'll go to bed, then.

The next day, Taria, all packed up, was about to leave.

"See you all later. Mom, Dad, Kendrick, Nita, Sharon, James, and Randall."

Nita walked up to Taria. "Hope you make it to the Pokémon League. We'll all be cheering for you."

Natasha also walked up to Taria. "You're the fourth of our children to leave. Be safe, and don't get yourself killed out there. Don't you have anything to say, Marcus?"

Marcus laughed. "Ditto. Do your best. I know you'll make it to the Pokémon League, the way you battle."

Taria giggled. "Thanks, Dad. I guess it's time for me to go, then." She waved as she left.

"Goodbye!"

* * *

Next Chapter: **_Assault on Denning Town! Team Rocket Returns?!?_**

Thanks White Card and yingyang88 for reviewing.

A/N: Well, after a three-chapter introduction, Taria's journey finally begins. This chapter might have seemed like a filler chapter, but it isn't. As you will see, nothing that happens in this story will be in vain.

Also, expect the story to be action packed, since I am a huge fan of action fics. Expect a battle or two every chapter or two. I'll also try to be more detailed with the battle scenes, if you think I need improvement.

Lastly, I also plan on updating anytime from 1 day to 2 weeks after I update a chapter, so you won't have to wait as long as you have been.

Well, that's all for now. If you feel like this story needs improvement, or if you just want to comment on any part of the story, then review. If you have a more detailed comment, e-mail me at flyman11589 on Yahoo! or Hotmail.

Until next time, R&R!


	4. Assault on Denning Town! Team Rocket Re...

**Chapter 4:**

_**Assault on Denning Town!**_

_**Team Rocket Returns?!?**_

"I can't believe I'm still 60 miles away from Viridian! I left two days ago; I should be there by now!"

Taria sat down by a tree, sighing. Viridian City was usually a day or two's walk, but as she saw from a nearby sign, she was nowhere near it.

Taria groaned. "I should've brought a map. I can't believe—"

She then remembered what Professor Oak told her.

--

"I've even added a map feature to this Pokédex. My fellow colleagues complained about it being overkill, but I decided to put it in anyway, just in case. Anyways, just press this button, and it will show you a map of where you are and what towns are nearest you."

--

Taria put her hand on her face and slightly laughed. "Here I am, lost, and I could've used the Pokédex the whole damn time!"

She pressed the button under the screen. The Pokédex showed a small map.

"Let's see...the nearest town is...Denning. And it's only five miles away!"

Taria ran down the highway which led to Denning Town. About an hour later, she reached a cliff. From that point, she could see the whole town. There were many buildings and roads, with a few skyscrapers in the town center.

"It sure seems busy for a town in the middle of nowhere. Oh well, I guess I'll stay here for a little while." Taria ran towards the town.

A couple of minutes later, Taria was walking in the downtown district of Denning. The streets were busy, a contrast from what she was used to in Pallet. Yet, there was something strange about this town. Although she was surrounded by many people, she could easily be spotted. The townspeople were dressed strangely alike; they wore either all black or all gray, or a mix of black and gray.

"There is definitely something wrong with this town. I don't know what it could be..."

Just then, she accidentally bumped into a boy, who fell on the ground. From his looks, he was obviously older than Taria, but still had the looks of a teenager. He smiled like he was completely satisfied and pleased with his life. He had an appearance that would seem to cheer anyone up. He was tall and looked scrawny, but if you took a better look, it was obvious that he had a moderate, but bulky build. He was wearing all black, and had short purple hair.

Taria held out her hand to help him up. "Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry."

The boy, still smiling, took her hand and got up. "It's all right. You didn't see me."

He then looked at her clothes. "You're not from here, are you?"

"No, I'm not. I'm from Pallet." She then looked around once again. There was not one person who wasn't wearing black or gray. "Is there a dress code or something? I don't get it."

The boy quickly lost his contented smile. "You have to get out of here, as soon as possible!"

Taria became suspicious. "What are you talking about?"

"It's best for you not to know. Unless you desire to face the horrible fate these townspeople will soon have." The boy ran swiftly. "Get out of here, now. Get as far away from here as possible!"

Taria watched the boy, somewhat confused. "What the hell is he talking about? I have to find out why he's in such a hurry and why he wants me gone."

---

Taria, careful not to be noticed by the boy, ran after him. He unknowingly led her to a warehouse in a slummed area of the town. There, Katen rhythmically knocked on the door.

A small slit on the door opened. "Number with password."

The boy said without hesitation, "TQN-56748, Team Rocket will dominate the world with atrocious force and unmitigated destruction."

The man then opened the door. "It's about time, Katen. Did you put up the finishing touches?"

Katen put up a thumbs-up as he walked in. A number of TR grunts wearing black clothes were also in the warehouse. "It's all done. In twenty minutes, the helicopters will arrive to pick us up. When we reach 50 miles away from the city, I'll call in HQ to activate the bombs." He held what up what seemed like a bead. "This might seem like a bead, but this is a bomb that is popular on the black market. Just one is packed with enough liquid nitrogen to reduce half of Celadon City to ashes. There are so many of these bombs around Denning, anything within 30 miles of Denning will be disintegrated. However, they are completely harmless unless activated by a machine that controls the atom structure. That machine is the machine HQ will use to activate the bombs." He slightly chuckled. "Nobody took notice of our return at Lilycove six years ago. When our mission is completed, every human and Pokémon on this planet will cower with fear, because Team Rocket is back!" The grunts applauded and Katen smiled with constant content.

Taria, hiding behind a stack of boxes, nearby, was shocked with what she heard. "I can't believe this. Team Rocket was disbanded long before I was born. After all these years, they're back. I have to stop this, I just have to. But how?" A couple of moments later, she snapped her finger with satisfaction. "I got it!"

---

"Nice watch! Where'd ya get it?"

"Stole it from some guy my Scyther hacked in two. He should've known better than to piss me off. I see you got you some nice ass shades. Where'd you get them from?"

"Some boy who thought he was a gangsta. That bitch started talking shit, so I had my Houndoom burn him to a crisp, but not before taking his tight ass shades."

As the Team Rocket grunts sat around discussing how they killed innocent people, Katen stood at a wall looking at his watch.

"Only five more minutes..."

All of a sudden, Taria appeared from behind the stack of boxes. She started yelling and shouting, attempting to get their attention.

Katen looked up. "What the...is that the girl I ran into earlier?"

The men became furious.

"I bet that damn kid was listening the whole time."

"Let me at her ass, Katen. I'll show this child what happens to spies."

Katen, however, kept his contented look. "Wait a minute." He looked over at Taria. "I see. After I told you to leave as far away from this doomed town as soon as possible, after I tried to save your life, you decide to come here and endanger our plans. Unfortunately, for you, that will not happen. As you can see, you are completely outnumbered. It is just about impossible for you to succeed with your plan, child."

He then called out the men. "Get rid of her, now." As they ran towards Taria, Katen laughed. "Nobody's that dumb to just get our attention like that. Let's see how powerful she truly is."

One of the grunts took out a Pokéball. "That wench is mine. Go, Kingler! Use Guillotine!"

The man's Kingler ran at Taria with high speed, repeatedly clamping his claws.

Taria cheered. "This is going just as planned. Come on out, Spheal! Use your Ice Beam!"

Taria's Spheal shot out a shining beam at Kingler. Because Kingler was going so fast, it had no time to dodge the attack. Kingler was encased in a block of ice.

"Damn it. Kingler, return!"

"Let's finish this, Spheal. Blizzard!"

Spheal screeched piercingly, and a small cloud surrounded of the men. Just then, huge gusts of wind and snow surrounded them.

Katen, looking from the warehouse, gazed at Taria and Spheal.

"She must be pretty advanced to have her Pokémon learn Blizzard. I wonder..."

One of the men managed to reach his Pokéball. "Get rid of this storm, Houndoom! Sunny Day!"

Houndoom howled deafeningly, and the blizzard disappeared as the sun seemed to get brighter. The cloud surrounding them vanished as well.

Taria stepped back. "Okay, I didn't plan that..."

"You're finished, girl!"

All the other men brought out their Pokémon. Taria was surrounded by a number of Pokémon, some of which included Scyther, Houndoom, Pinsir, Raticate, Crobat, Electrode, and Feraligatr.

Taria screamed. "What am I going to do now?"

The men doubled over with laughter. "The little girl's crying."

"Don't worry, wench. You'll be put out of your misery very soon."

All the men called their Pokémon. "Get ready for your Hyper Beam!"

Meanwhile, Katen shook his head, smiling a little less. "I'm disappointed. I really thought I would have a worthy opponent. She's just like the others who have tried to take me down. Full of courage but weak as hell."

Taria ran over to Spheal and held him. "It can't be over like this. It just can't."

Just then, a shimmering silver aura surrounded Taria and Spheal. Taria's eyes began to glow a shimmering silver, and a sharp, cold wind blew.

Katen looked up and stepped back. His smile faded instantly. "There is something more to her. Is she...one of The Ones?"

Huge and vast gusts of wind surrounded Taria. Spheal's eyes began to glow a deep dark blue.

The Pokémon all shot their Hyper Beams. Just then, the beams stopped in front of Spheal and disintegrated.

Katen frantically took out his cellphone. "What the hell is she thinking?" He hastily dialed the Team Rocket Headquarters. "Katen to HQ! Abort mission NOW!" He then took out a Pokéball. "I have to stop her before she kills us all!"

The once calm, blue sky abruptly turned dark with gray clouds. The temperature instantly dropped significantly. Snowflakes began to fall and cold wind blew nonstop from every direction.

Taria screamed out with all her might,

"ABSOLUTE ZERO!"

A ball of dark blue energy materialized over Spheal. Just then, he screeched loudly and sent the ball of energy at the grunts.

Katen ran out of the way. "Now. I have to do it now!"

The blast was so strong that the grunts and their Pokémon were disintegrated before the blast even hit.

"No. My team...they're all gone..."

Katen swiftly ran over to Taria.

"Stop this now before we all die!"

He started to grab Taria's arm, but was then hit by a huge gust of wind. He fell to the ground, somewhat shocked.

"I knew it. Skarmory, Quick Attack!"

All of a sudden, a Skarmory flew out of nowhere and tackled Taria at high speed.

"Wha..."

Taria was knocked unconscious by Skarmory's hit. As she fell, the aura surrounding her and Spheal disappeared.

As abruptly as the clouds came, the clouds disappeared. The sun came back out, and the snow that was on the ground quickly melted. The ball of energy dissipated as Spheal fell unconscious along with Taria.

---

Taria woke up sometime later. She looked around at her surroundings.

"What the...wasn't I in Denning?"

Indeed, the surroundings were completely dissimilar to where she was before. Taria was sitting by a tree in a field. A light, warm breeze was blowing, swaying the nearby trees. The town of Denning could be seen in the distance.

"What happened?" She then noticed her head was throbbing in pain. "Damn, that hurts! It feels like I got ran over by a pack of Tauros."

"Actually it was my Skarmory that ran you over."

Taria looked around. "Who...it's you!"

Katen was standing by a tree with his usual contented smile. "So you're awake. I should say I'm impressed. You're one of The Ones. But you were so out of control, I think you just got that power.

Taria, although in serious pain, was able to get up. "Who are The Ones? And what happened in the first place? And I thought you were going to kill me. Why the change of mind?"

Katen looked up at Taria. His smile was just about gone; it was apparent from his expression that he was full of fury and happiness.

"You have no idea what happened, do you? You almost killed us along with the town. You pulled off an Absolute Zero attack, an attack only a One can pull off. The temperature dropped so low that the bombs were destroyed."

"The bombs?"

"Don't act dumb. I know you were listening. You know damn well of those bombs. If your Pokémon's attack had hit the ground, it would have frozen the entire area including the bombs, activating them with more ferocity than usual. There were so many of the bombs around this town; the explosion could've wiped out this entire province, reaching as far as Pallet and Viridian."

Katen walked over to Taria.

I remember last time one of you people pulled off an Absolute Zero...anyway, you don't remember anything?"

"No, I don't. All I remember was feeling anger and fear while surrounded by your team. After that, nothing."

"I see. You're just beginning to reach your potential. I'll let you go this time. I have a feeling you'll be a much worthy opponent to fight one day." Katen walked away.

Taria ran after him. "Wait. I have no idea what's happening to me. What's going on?"

Katen turned around. "You'll find out soon enough, hopefully before we meet again. When we do, we will battle to the death."

"I have one more thing to ask you. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why this town in the middle of nowhere? Why not Saffron or Celadon?"

"Who said they weren't targets? Nowhere in Kanto or anywhere for that matter is safe now. These people know something they shouldn't. Don't think that because you thwarted my plans this time, this town is safe. These people will die." Katen walked away.

Taria called out one last time to Katen. "Hey!"

Katen turned around once again. "Yeah?"

"My name's Taria Ketchum. What's yours?"

"You know it's not smart to reveal your name to the enemy, don't you?"

"I know. I just want to know who you are, since you're going on and on about battling to the death and all."

Katen slightly laughed. "You make a good point there. Katen. Katen Watanabe."

Taria walked away, somewhat confused. "What is up with him? Why was he so intent on telling me his plans? Plus, he could've killed me while I was unconscious, but he didn't. I don't know what's up with him..."

As Katen flew away on Skarmory, he remembered something, and then suddenly became suspicious.

"Ketchum? Don't tell me she's related to..."

He looked back. Taria was nowhere to be seen.

---

"What the hell do you mean the plan failed?"

"A girl ruined my plans, boss."

"You're just pathetic, Admin Katen. I don't know why I shouldn't kill your sorry ass right now. If anybody outside of Denning found out—"

"Calm down, boss. I have good news. The girl is one of The Ones. And I think she's related to Champion Ash Ketchum."

"The champion? If she's one of The Ones, I wouldn't be surprised. This is perfect. I know exactly how to get him out of hiding now. Thank you, Admin Katen. You're useful for something after all."

"You're welcome, boss."

Katen closed his cellphone. He looked at the sky, smiling.

"I know she'll be powerful one day. Then I'll finally have that battle I've waited so long for..."

* * *

Next time: **Viridian City and the Trainer House**

Thanks Yawgmoth, yingyang88, sapphireplusle, and Rylan Swank for reviewing.

Sorry for the late update. I was planning on updating last week, but school took up my spare time once again.

A/N:

I would like to answer a question about if Ash would be mentioned later on in this fic. I'm not going to answer directly, but I'll give you a hint. The answer to the question is in the last part of this chapter.

Also, I've also added Katen with the main characters.

That's all for now. Until later, R&R!


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